Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Art and Beauty Tuesday--Martin Johnson Heade

The delicate blue butterfly is shown contrasted against an olive green background. The right hand side of the butterfly is a beautiful ice blue while the left side is shown in dark shadow, highlighting the metamorphosis that happens when it emerges from its chrysalis.

I can't help but wonder what the light source is in this picture. Because butterflies are sometimes used to symbolize resurrection, it makes me think of the blue of Mary's mantel, being illuminated by the light of Christ. Even the traditionally brilliant yellow is dwarfed by the beautiful blue in this picture.

3 comments:

I have always loved blue butterflies. I think that is because they are more rare here than the typical yellow and black monarch. Truly, I love all butterflies, but the blue ones are more brilliant in appearance.

I love blue butterflies. During the 1980s I bought a collection of porcelain butterflies, some of which were blue. I didn't know that butterflies are a symbol of the resurrection, but it makes sense. Now I have an image in my head of Baby Jesus sitting with a blue butterfly on his first finger! Wish I could draw from scratch!

"Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition. "— Rodney Stark